So anyway, I jokingly said before we started to watch last night's France v Scotland match that "I would have a drink" if Scotland won...
So that's the end of my alcohol abstinence run...
I lasted 18 days altogether, and can now proudly take my place on the pantheon with
those who have abstained from alcohol in the 14-21 day bracket.
Unlike Louis Armstrong,I don't want to blow my own trumpet, but I still regard this as one of the outstanding achievements of my life, and have demonstrated to myself that I have extraordinary willpower. Yes, I know this is shite, but I'm in a jolly mood today.
Thankfully, I didn't say that I'd also have a cigarette if Scotland won...
The joyous nature of the evening was clouded slightly by my decision to briefly switch from Sky Sports 1 to Sky Sports 2 to check the score in the Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland game...
There was an injury stoppage in the Scotland game, so this seemed a reasonable course of action...
I also had a rather large wager that the Czechs would win, and wanted to monitor my investment...
I won, but it was at a heavy price...
I turned back to the Scotland game and we were shocked to see that the graphic in the top left hand corner of the screen was informing us that Scotland were leading one nil...
My delight at this news was tempered by the realisation that as a consequence of my inappropriate channel hopping, we had missed witnessing live possibly the most iconic, glorious fucking goal in the history of Scottish football.
My friend Grahame gave me a look of withering exasperated disappointment which he retained for the rest of the match...(and probably the rest of 2007 I suspect)
It was an expression I was very familiar with on various teachers' faces throughout my schooldays.
That it was all down to the evil of gambling makes this an important moral lesson which you should all take heed of.
Mind you, I could claim some credit for Scotland scoring that goal as I had obviously tempted fate by switching the channel thus giving God an absolute sitter of an opportunity to punish me for last week's cheery endorsement of "The God Delusion" book.
3 comments:
Hey Jim,
When I got home I decided to see The Goal (the one you made me miss - no hard feelings though!)in the context of the game, that is without the "Cheques" bouncing in and out, and so I settled down with my cuppa in front of Sportscene.
During the game I was called into the other room by my eldest who was shouting Fire-Warden-like "Dad! Dad! There's something majorly wrong with the computer!" I rushed through and found she had only turned the sound down on the speakers. Phew!
As I left her, I heard a roar from the telly in the sitting room..."What a goal!!!!"
I hope to see this great goal at full speed some day.
Cheers,
Grahame
It was a hell of a goal!
But just think...we'll always remember where we were when we didn't see THAT goal...!
It's something to tell our grandchildren...
You are not alone - I think most of the Scottish nation missed the goal. I was at the toilet (although I was only listening on the radio so wouldn't have seen it anyway!), and one of my friends told me that he had taken the opportunity to view other scores on teletext during the said injury break! I stayed up to watch Sportscene but fell asleep! - WAW
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